Welsh

The Welsh are a Celtic ethnic group native to Wales in the British Isles. The word "Welsh" comes from the Germanic word walhaz, meaning "foreigner"; the word therefore comes from the same origin as Wallonia, Wallachia, and the Canton of Valais. The Welsh people were divided into numerous principalities until their conquest by England in 1282, when their leader llywelyn ap Gruffudd was slain at Orewin Bridge. In 1415, the last Welshman to hold the title "Prince of Wales", the rebel leader Owain Glyndwr, was slain by the English. The Welsh people mostly spoke only Welsh and had no knowledge of English until the 20th century; since then, English is the predominant language in most parts of the country, while Welsh is the predominant language in the north and west of the country and is usually the second language for bilingual people. In 2011, there were 3,000,000 Welsh people in Wales, 1,810,000 in the United States, 609,711 in England, 458,705 in Canada, 125,597 in Australia, 50,000 in Argentina, 16,623 in Scotland, and 9,966 in New Zealand; the majority are Protestant.